I Won't Leave You
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: To Astrid, Hiccup is everything. She doesn't know how she would fight without him, or how she would move on if Hiccup's life were to end. So, when she watches as he's stabbed by Dagur, right before her very eyes, she can't help but let fear grip her. (One-Shot) (Requested by Into A Fantasy, Guest)


"HICCUP!"

It was supposed to be a practice drill. It was supposed to be a round across the other islands they had come across, just to make sure Dagur and his men weren't lurking about, while they were following the new map to a brand new island. It was supposed to be simple: make sure Dagur wasn't around, and head to the new island.

The riders hadn't counted on Dagur actually being there, waiting for them. The riders hadn't counted on having to go down, dismount their dragons, and take on Dagur and his men with just their weapons.

They had been fighting on an island, just near the shores of the ocean, the waves lapping at the sand like dogs at a trough of water. On the shores, the riders had been fighting Berserkers when it happened.

Astrid had just finished knocking three Berserker soldiers out with the flat of her axe when she managed to look over her shoulder at where Hiccup was fighting Dagur. She looked over at just the right moment, too.

Just in time to watch as Hiccup was stabbed.

It wasn't his fault - Hiccup had been looking over at Snotlout and the twins, making sure they weren't hurt, when in reality, Hiccup should have been looking in front of him, at his own opponent. When Hiccup looked away, even for a split second, it gave Dagur the opening he needed to lunge. His dagger sliced through the skin of Hiccup's abdomen and sank through, all the way to the hilt.

Astrid couldn't help but scream, _"HICCUP!"_ as she watched the scene unfold, right in front of her eyes, unable to do anything to prevent what had just happened. Hiccup didn't scream, and he really didn't move. His gaze traveled down to the weapon embedded deep in his stomach, and after one look, his eyes squeezed shut in either pain or shock. Maybe it was a mix of both.

Smiling coldly, Dagur wrenched the knife free, and Hiccup doubled over, his hands clamping over the wound. He stumbled on his one leg and prosthetic, trying to remain standing, to remain fighting.

The poor, courageous idiot. Always willing to fight until he could literally fight no more. Willing to fight until his final breath.

Except, right now, that was kinda the problem.

Astrid, as soon as she had a clear shot, ran. She ran, ducking beneath weapons and bashing Berserkers who stood between her and Hiccup aside easily. Nothing in the right mind stood between her and Hiccup, and whoever did got bashed in the head so hard Astrid knew they would have concussions, and possibly amnesia, if they woke up at all.

She threw her axe to the ground as soon as she reached Hiccup, and she had just enough time to grab him before he collapsed. She wrapped her arms around him, and he fell against her, limply, almost lifelessly, his head lolling against her shoulder.

"Hiccup." She shook him desperately. "HICCUP!"

His eyes flew open at her shouting, and he blinked multiple times as if unable to see what was right in front of him. When he gazed up at her, he smiled faintly.

"Hey," he said breathlessly. He closed his eyes again and swallowed hard. "I...I think...I think he got me."

Astrid couldn't help but look down, and as soon as she did, she regretted the decision. Oh, the blood...there was so much of it…

"Yeah," Astrid swallowed as well, her eyes widening in terror. "Just...just a bit...oh gods, Hiccup…"

If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that she couldn't lose him. She didn't know what she would ever do without Hiccup by her side. She didn't tell it to him often enough, perhaps, but she needed him. She would never be able to get along without him. She would never be able to lose him.

Except, now, she _was_ losing him. She was losing him, even though she was technically clutching him as tightly as she could manage. She was holding onto him desperately, but no matter how tight her grip was, or how strong she was, it seemed that nothing could keep away the clawing arms of death.

Nothing.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

Hiccup sighed. "I...I guess...I guess that...means it's pretty bad, huh?" he quipped. "'Cause...y'know...it feels...pretty bad...nngh…" He shut his eyes again, his head a dead-weight against her shoulder, as if he couldn't even hold himself up on his own anymore.

And Astrid knew that. More of his weight shifted towards her, and she was tempted to collapse to the ground with Hiccup still in her arms.

Only, she really couldn't do that. Soldiers were advancing, and she knew now that she had to keep Hiccup awake.

"Come on, Hiccup," she shook him again. "You're okay, you're okay, hang on...hang on…"

He coughed and swallowed again. "I...I don't...I don't think...it's okay...I'm...I'm-"

"No," Astrid cut him off, because she didn't want to hear what he had to say. She knew it wasn't going to be positive, which meant it was going to be negative, which meant that it probably had to do with him not surviving.

He had to pull through.

He had to make it.

Astrid didn't know what she would do if he didn't.

"Hold on, Hiccup," she begged. She heard dragons roaring and weapons clashing, but the only noise she paid attention to was Hiccup's raspy breath. "Hang in there."

"I'm...I'm trying…" Hiccup's knees buckled, and Astrid had no choice but to sink to the ground, her hold on Hiccup never loosening. "I'm t-trying, Astrid, but...but...it's...it's so hard…"

Astrid wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to shout in anguish. She wanted to shout in fury. She wanted to get up and attack Dagur, but she wanted to hold Hiccup forever.

Astrid wasn't having the greatest day of her life to begin with. It started out fine, dismissing the fact that Snotlout and the twins always acted like the idiots they were and never missed a moment to prove their stupidity. Following the new map had been fun. Getting ambushed by Dagur was not so fun. Her day was ruined.

But Hiccup was off-limits. No one was allowed to hurt Hiccup.

At least not without Astrid having a few choice words (or weapons) for said person who hurt him.

At the same time, though, attacking Dagur meant she had to leave Hiccup, and that was just something Astrid wasn't willing to do.

After all, revenge on Dagur could wait.

Hiccup could not.

She held him tightly against her, rocking both him and herself back and forth in a desperate, futile attempt to not cry. It didn't work, and her tears rolled down her face and dampened Hiccup's hair.

"Please, hang on," she begged. "Please, please, _please…"_

She felt warm, wet drops against her neck, and she realized that Hiccup was crying, too. "I'm trying," he promised. "I'm...I'm...m'tr'ing…I d'nt...I don't want...to go..."

"Then don't," Astrid shook her head. "Don't. Don't go." She knew he didn't have a say in it either way, whether he lived or died, and she knew he was fighting. She knew he was giving it everything he had.

But would it be enough? That was the real question.

"You can make it through this, Hiccup," she sobbed. "You have to, alright? You wouldn't leave me, would you?" _Not intentionally_. "You...you wouldn't...wouldn't do something like that to me, right?"

"Nnnnhhh…"

"Hey, look at me." Astrid flattened her palm against his cheek and turned his head, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Look at me, alright? Keep your eyes on me. Don't look at anything else."

She supposed she was being extraordinarily calm now, but that was only because she couldn't quite believe this was actually happening. Hiccup was dying, right before her eyes, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

He couldn't die. He simply couldn't.

She looked frantically for something to put over the stab wound, and when she couldn't find anything, she tore off the hem of Hiccup's tunic and pressed it against the torn skin. Hiccup sucked in a deep breath, but he didn't moan or scream in pain, as she had expected him to.

He probably didn't have the strength left for either sounds of discomfort.

"You're okay," Astrid said, but how could she tell him he was okay when he wasn't? And more importantly, how could she admit that she was lying? You don't just tell someone who is dying that they are dying. "You're doing great, Hiccup, just keep breathing." She felt blood soak through the fabric and wet her fingers, and she didn't dare look. "It's not even that bad," she lied. "It's not even that bad, alright, Hiccup?"

Hiccup didn't have time to respond. The other riders raced over, flanked by their dragons, Stormfly, and Toothless. The Berkians and dragons bashed Berserkers out of the way, and slowly but surely, the Berserkers retreated, back towards their ships.

They were nothing against the furious dragons and equally furious riders.

The Berkians stood horrified, their eyes on Hiccup. The dragons stopped dead in their tracks; all but Toothless, who raced forward with the speed of an arrow and began nudging Hiccup, almost frantically.

Toothless could smell Hiccup's blood, no doubt.

Heck, _Astrid_ could smell Hiccup's blood at this point.

Astrid looked up from Hiccup, meeting Fishlegs' eyes. Out of all the riders aside from Hiccup, of course, Fishlegs was the one she trusted most. She knew she could count on him for just about anything.

Besides, he and Hiccup were best friends.

"Fishlegs," Astrid gasped out. "He's hurt." It sounded lame, perhaps, stating the obvious in such a blatant way, but she didn't know what else to say. "Stabbed. He needs-"

"Medical attention," Fishlegs cut in, nodding. "We have to get him back to the Edge. I don't have anything right now." He looked beyond terrified, but Astrid could tell that he was a lot like her: stunned. Shocked. Unable to believe this was actually happening. Unable to believe the sight laid before them. Unable to believe that Hiccup was actually dying.

"Dragons, everyone!" Snotlout ordered. "NOW! Ruffnut, Tuffnut! Scare those Berserkers off! Fishlegs! Help me with Hiccup! Get the dragons to carry Toothless! MOVE!"

The stunned silence was broken instantly, and for once in her life, Astrid found herself thankful for Snotlout. It was odd. Right now, Snotlout seemed to be the only one who hadn't lost his nerve.

Well, of course he'd lost his nerve. His cousin was bleeding out in front of him. But Snotlout was still the one who shouted the commands, and for that, Astrid was grateful. She made a mental note to thank him later.

It wasn't hard, getting Hiccup onto Stormfly's back. As soon as he was on, Astrid got on behind him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. As soon as the other riders were mounted on their dragons, they took off, towards the Edge. Hookfang and Barf and Belch carried Toothless in their talons, although that was a fact easily disregarded.

"Hang on, Hiccup," Astrid begged. He was unconscious now, his body limp, slumped in her arms like a ragdoll. "Hang on, just a little bit longer…"

Getting to Dragon's Edge took a remarkably short amount of time, and as soon as they arrived, Snotlout and Fishlegs managed to get Hiccup inside the Clubhouse while Ruffnut and Tuffnut ran to get necessary supplies at Fishlegs' command (water, blankets, bandages, and Fishlegs' medical satchel from his hut).

Fishlegs worked quickly; no one questioned him. Astrid sat across from Fishlegs, holding Hiccup's head in her lap and wiping sweat and tears off his face while the Ingerman boy worked. Astrid never looked up, and she didn't dare look at the wound, especially when Fishlegs readied a needle to stitch it with. She kept her eyes fixated on Hiccup's face, and when she wasn't looking at his closed eyes and slack features, she was watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

The reassurance that he was alive and breathing was definitely comforting.

However, the coppery smell of blood that hang in the air was not.

At long last, Fishlegs stepped back. "Done," he said. "Done. Done, done done...oh Thor…"

Astrid looked up. "Is he okay?"

She could almost hear Hiccup's voice in her head: _Well,_ that _was a stupid question._ And it was truly a stupid question, but Astrid couldn't help but ask it. She was worried, and Fishlegs' reaction wasn't a reassuring one.

Fishlegs nodded shakily. "He'll...he _will_ be okay," he began, "only...well...we have the issue of bloodloss to deal with...and if the wound gets infected, I...I don't know if...if we'll be able to do anything to help him…"

That was terrifying.

Astrid turned her head towards the far wall of the Clubhouse; Tuffnut and Ruffnut were pacing back and forth in opposite directions while Snotlout sat on a stool, drumming his fingers against his knee nervously.

"You three," Astrid pointed at them, "go back to Berk. Get Gothi. And Stoick. Tell them what happened."

To her surprise, Snotlout and the twins nodded and raced towards the door without arguing or saying anything at all, in fact. She knew what Hiccup would say: _For the record, I just have to say that that was the first time that's_ ever _happened_.

It wouldn't have been the first time, per se, but it was true. Snotlout and the twins rarely listened to anyone, and for them to listen without complaint and do as Astrid had commanded, it showed her that even though they could be idiots, they also recognized the solemn situations and reacted accordingly.

"What do we do now?" Astrid asked Fishlegs after another moment.

Fishlegs still looked horrified, and although Astrid didn't blame him, she still needed his help. "Right now," Fishlegs said at length, his voice wavering, "just...just keep him warm, and don't let him move. If he rips those stitches out…"

His voice trailed off, and Astrid knew what he didn't want to say. She knew that, if the wound reopened, Hiccup could lose a fatal amount of blood. They were lucky he was alive at all right now, but any large amount of bloodloss now would probably result in death.

"Okay, I get it," Astrid nodded. "Should we move him to his own place, or just let him stay in the Clubhouse, then?"

After a moment, Fishlegs nodded. "Yeah, we should move him," he said, "just as long as we're careful. We should probably get one of the dragons to help."

Astrid nodded again.

It wasn't as hard as it could have been, moving Hiccup, with the help of Toothless, who had been waiting sadly outside while Fishlegs took care of Hiccup's wound. Hiccup was dead to the world, so if he was in pain, there was no way Astrid would be able to tell. After they had Hiccup situated in his bed, Fishlegs left to fetch more water while Astrid remained by Hiccup's side.

Fishlegs' words flashed in her mind: _"He_ will _be okay...only...well...we have the issue of bloodloss to deal with...and if the wound gets infected, I...I don't know if...if we'll be able to do anything to help him…"_

Astrid sighed. Without hardly thinking about what she was doing, she began redoing the two braids in Hiccup's hair she always did. She knew Hiccup hated it, but at the same time, he never undid them. She didn't know why.

"Oh, Hiccup…" she shook her head. "Please wake up soon."

…

As it turned out, the wound didn't get infected, but the wound left him weak and prone to illness, which later led to him getting a fever. Astrid spent her time at his bedside, dabbing his forehead with a cold, wet rag while Fishlegs waited for the return of the other riders, Gothi, and Stoick. Astrid was anxious for their arrival. The longer their return took, the longer Hiccup had to suffer.

Astrid never wanted to see him suffer.

It was that day, as Astrid soaked the rag in water and laid it across his forehead again, the day after the stabbing, that he woke up. Astrid hadn't been expecting him to wake up so soon, but she wasn't complaining.

As soon as she noticed his eyes were cracked open, she smiled, if faintly, in relief. "Hey," she greeted quietly.

Hiccup swallowed. "H...Hey," he repeated in the same barely-above-a-whisper tone Astrid had used. "Wh...what...happened…?"

Astrid wanted to cheer from the rooftops, she was so glad he was awake, but she refrained. Hiccup looked confused, and she supposed it made sense why he would be perplexed. The last thing he remembered was… "How much do you remember?" she asked.

Hiccup blinked slowly. "I...I remember...Dagur...right?"

Astrid nodded. He was right so far.

"And...I think...I think he stabbed me, right?"

Another nod.

"And...that was...that's...about it," Hiccup said. "Oh, and...I remember you...telling me to fight…"

Astrid nodded once more, this time, her smile growing. "Yeah," she said. "And you _did_ fight." She pressed the rag against his forehead. "We got you back here, got you patched up. You'll be just fine."

"Where…" Hiccup coughed. "Where're the others?"

"Snotlout and the twins are going back to Berk to get Gothi," Astrid explained. She sat down on the bed next to him casually. "Fishlegs is waiting for them to get back. They should get back here pretty soon. They left yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Hiccup swallowed again. "How...how l-long was I out?"

"Not long," Astrid answered. She removed the cloth and put her hand against his hairline. His fever was still high, but it felt lower than it had been before, and it relieved her, if slightly. "You were out from last night to now."

Hiccup blinked tiredly. "How-"

"You should probably stop for now, Hiccup. You were hurt, bad. Resting is probably the best thing for you now. It'll be a few weeks before you can get back on your feet."

Hiccup lifted his hand. "Foot."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Okay, foot." She paused for a few more moments. He didn't appear to be in any pain, but at the same time, he'd always been good at hiding stuff like that from other people. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

Hiccup winced, as if confirming what she'd said. "Well, yeah," he admitted. "But...but I think I've seen worse."

Astrid shook her head. "Not much worse," she said. "Maybe when you lost your leg, but that's it. Nothing else could compare." She shook her head. She couldn't think about that. She hated thinking about Hiccup being hurt worse than he was now.

"Hey." Hiccup must have sensed her unease, because he laid his hand over hers and smiled faintly. "I'll be okay, okay? I promise."

She smiled back and squeezed his hand. "Yeah," she said. "How do you feel?"

Hiccup exhaled through his nose. "Tired," he admitted. "Really tired."

Astrid nodded. It was to be expected, she supposed. She could see the worry in Hiccup's eyes; not worry for himself, but worry for her, and Astrid noticed, as she always noticed the small things with Hiccup.

Except, she didn't want to say it out loud. Instead, she took a moment to reassure him, and reassure herself. "You're gonna be okay, Hiccup," Astrid promised, her voice a whisper, a small smile crossing over her face. She re-wet the rag and returned it to his forehead, keeping one hand over the wet fabric and her other hand holding Hiccup's. "You're gonna be fine. You'll feel better real soon, you'll see."

Hiccup smiled back, and although it was small and weak and didn't reach his eyes, Astrid could tell it was an honest smile, one from his heart. "Thanks, Astrid," he croaked. He squeezed her hand back, and although he did it probably more limply than he'd hoped, it made Astrid feel better. "And if you...have something better to do...you know...I...I understand...if you have to go-"

Astrid shook her head instantly. At this point, any thought of leaving Hiccup was a ludicrous thought. "No," she said. "I don't have to go, Hiccup. I don't have anything better to do. I'll stay."

"You...you don't have to-"

Astrid shook her head feverishly yet again. "No, I want to," she said. "I won't leave you, Hiccup, ever, alright? I'm going to stay, right here, with you, okay?"

Hiccup blinked tiredly and smiled again. She knew he appreciated her company more than he would wish to say out loud. "Okay," he said. "Th...thanks…"

Astrid bent down and kissed his warm forehead. "You're welcome," she said. "Now get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up, alright? I promise. I won't leave you."

Hiccup nodded sluggishly, his eyes shutting on their own as he, after a few moments, surrendered himself to sleep. Astrid pulled the blanket around his shoulders, unsure of what else to do.

"I love you so much, Hiccup," she whispered, even though he was fast asleep. "I won't leave you. Ever."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Soo…**

 **So…**

 **Sooooooo…**

 **Yeah. This was requested by "Into A Fantasy" (Guest), and they requested a story where Hiccup gets stabbed in the very beginning of it. This was Into A Fantasy's request (in the user's words):**

" **And I was just wondering, if maybe, you could write a one-shot that begins with Hiccup getting stabbed. I don't know how you'd do it, but I know that if anyone can do it, it's you. :) I want to see how you'd write Astrid's POV during that situation, watching Hiccup get stabbed, and of course, Hiccstrid can come later in the one-shot.**

" **If there is one certain thing I would request, it would be that the one-shot would NOT BE A DEATH!FIC! You've only done a few of them, but seriously, you do them too much for comfort! Please no death!fic! You can do anything else you want with this request as long as EVERYONE LIVES (a.k.a. HICCUP LIVES)."**

 **So that was the request! You can be thankful Into A Fantasy asked me not to make it a death!fic, because in reality, I probably would have, you know? I probably would have started it off with Hiccup getting stabbed and finished it off with Hiccup's final breaths.**

 **I know. Rude of me, right? So, thank Into A Fantasy for asking me to NOT kill Hiccup.**

 **I have to say that if you have any requests centering around Hurt/Comfort, those are the requests that will get out more quicker than other requests. Right now, requests for full stories are closed, but if you have any one-shot Hurt/Comfort (centering around Hiccup and Astrid), go ahead and ask. :)**

 **Oh, and I have to say that I figured out, the director of HTTYD (or, I think it was the director - it could have been someone else in the crew) said that Hiccup** _ **does**_ **hate it when Astrid braids his hair, but he loves her, so he leaves the braids in.**

 **AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER! CAN WE GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE OUT THERE FOR HICCSTRID? *claps* WHAT TEAM! XD**

 **That will be all. :)**

 **Until next story!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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